Samsung are set to unveil dual-core hardware when Windows Phone 8 launches, according to documentation acquired by The Verge. The two listed Windows Phones are included in court documents submitted as part of the trial Samsung has against Apple. Both devices are stated to be packing the Qualcomm MSM8960 chipset, which is a dual-core 1.5Ghz CPU that Microsoft has been using for Apollo test devices.

According to the documentation (see above snapshot), the Samsung Odyssey will sport a 4.65" S-AMOLED display (with HD resolution) and an 8MP main rear-shooter. It is also marked as supporting NFC, a feature which is currently being marketed on the Nokia Lumia 610. It would seem that OEMs will attempt to include such functionality to further expand on the possibilities of NFC on the Windows Phone platform.

The Samsung Marco, on the other hand, will pack a 4" S-AMOLED display (with WVGA resolution), accompanied by a 5MP camera. Both Windows Phones will be ready for LTE usage and will be launching in Q4 2012 if the documentation is accurate.

With Apollo just around the corner (which fits into the launch timeframe supplied by this documentation), it's good to see Samsung on-board with Microsoft and preparing to throw high-end hardware into the mix. We'll be attending Nokia World this coming September to see what the Finnish handset maker has to offer to combat these proposed devices.

What do you make of the Odyssey and Marco? Would you purchase one? Let us know in the comments.

Obviously its great to see these devices coming out and the more there are from Samsung and HTC the better. However the efforts that Nokia have gone to push the platform, getting the apps and the customer service they have shown has me sold on a Nokia device.

That's the beauty of Nokia here. The manufacturer is providing such a superb service on top of actually pushing the hardware, that the likes of Samsung and HTC will have to improve their overall service for consumers to choose them over Nokia. Higher specifications, while are welcome, aren't necessarily attract those who enjoy the exclusive apps Nokia has for example.

If they don't pour more into Windows Phone, then they'll be left behind. Win win for consumers.

I love Samsung devices, but I agree they need to pour more into WP like Nokia. Get some developers and exclusive apps to win me over. At this point I will go Nokia, unless HTC puts out an updated arrive (large screen with slide out keyboard). Love the arrive and I prefer using key board over touchscreen, make it bigger and thinner and I am in no matter who manufactures.

I agree whole heartedly. I have a Titan, which I've thoroughly enjoyed, but Nokia has me sold. My next WP will be Nokia, and if they continue this marvelous support uncontested, it'll be Nokia from here on out. One thing though, HTC has some neat phone behavior options that would make Nokia phones even better ;)

Having just upgraded to the Lumia 900 from a 1st gen focus I have to agree. While it's not fair to compre the focus to the L900 it is clear that Nokia is producing much better poduct at this point. The L900 is just ridiculously gorgeous from screen to body. They've got my business when our next two focii die.

Nice Specs overall from Samsung, by, time I get a WP8 device in Spring 2013 should be plenty to choose from at that point..By that time hopefully we will be seeing MSM8960Pro 1.7 Quad / adreno 320..
But Dual Core is just fine has well ..

So the dual core is all good for me and LOL I laughed so hard at the portable nuclear reactor comment by one user here, that was good. Quad core for a phone right now is completely pointless and truly just a marketing ploy for the sheepses!!

Do these devices seem suspiciously similar to the Galaxy S III?

My only concern is this: is Samsung going to actually be trying to innovate for WP8 or is it simply putting a couple of phones out there just so they can say they are supporting WP8 without really doing it? I guess only time will tell on that but I don't find the specs on these phones particularly enthralling, sounds like a wp samsung s 3....I want something unique.....am guessing (hoping) nokia will fit that description

I totally agree,,,I'll never buy another samsung phone everyone I've ever owned has been buggy,,glitchy,,,and needing updates to work properly. They never seem to put out a finished phone,,they put out half finished phones to just get them out in the market and then roll out updats to fix the problems that they never should have had in the 1st place.

Droid 1, 2,3,4 all have hardware keyboards and those are higher end phones for their time. Unfortunately Verizon locks them down to the point of no return, and their keyboard is still inferior to the HTC 7 Pro. I would have snagged one of those because of the keyboard if US 3G was supported :(

I have owned an hd7, a focus flash and now a focus 2 and besides the casing and other small things all the phones appeared to function just about the same, so if windows phone 8 is anything like wp7 then I expect to have the same experience no matter the specs, the only specs that are buying point for me is NFC, a slide out keyboard and if it can use micro SD cards. Anything other then that is just Android flashy nonsense to me.

I too will go Nokia. Maybe Sammy if the camera is good. For me it's dual core,lte,NFC,great camera and large HD screen. No more HTC for me. Their lack of support for the titan gets me angry. My sons focus flash gas tango and I don't? Completely lame. We are both in us art.

Why can't we have a high end smartphone without a huge screen. 4in is the highest I'm willing to go, yet every manufacture refuses to put high end specs in a smaller design. Can someone explain the fascination with huge screens?

C'mon, we are all (society) surfing the web on our phones now and going blind in the process. We play games there, talk to our kids there, keep track of our banking and bill paying. Our phones are where we live - in information terms - and our eyes are suffering. So larger screens are becoming necessary for people to see that information. Samsungs Note and HTC Titan sell/sold well for a reason. Apple is only now finding 4" to be adequate but most iPhone people I speak to love my Focus S (and older Focus) screen and wished their iPhones were that size. So for now Android and Windows Phone will be the only choice for the hard to see crowd.
BTW, I too will likely switch to Nokia. I love my Sammys, but Nokia has proven that they want my future business. Funny, I had Nokia feature phones back in the day and I loved them then. It'll be nice to get home with a brand that treated me right in the past.

Easy, 5% of my actual phone use is for making calls. Therefore I want the largest screen possible. Movies, games, music, vevo, books, editing or showing pictures its all multimedia and thus the list for a large screen.

I have an S3 and have had the S2 also and am unimpressed overall. Good phones, but the screens suck bad outdoors side by side my titan 2. The Samsungs are ok but not super exciting to me at least, and the new WP offerings strike me the same way. Moving to Nokia when I move.

samsung is biggest oem for phones because of the popularity of android in many many cheap markets which nokia is only now starting to try to address.

the quality of handsets built by samsung does not even come close to the quality that nokia produces, all they do is reissue the same design over and over with minor changes depending on the market, price point and phone type they want.

Unless something dramatic happens then Nokia has my money with WP8. The other oems are just too run of the mill. I will say this though, the oems need to pick up slack and offer lots of cheaper devices.

I just need a quad core from Nokia then I am good. Seriously who is better than Nokia with their call quality, signal reception, build quality, camera, and outdoor visibility of the screen. Plus Nokia gives you more exclusive apps.

To future proof your purchase, be spec compatible with your android peers and to hedge any advances made for multicore support in Windows Phone 9 a quad core phone from Nokia would be an easy get. 4.7" HD screen, pureview camera. I'd come with cash in hand day one.

I'll probably buy the 4.65" phone if Nokia doesn't release a new phone of comparable size, I need that big screen more than I need the exclusive apps, though I of course would prefer both.
Come on Nokia, make a 5" WP8 device and I will definitely buy it.

I would buy a Samsung over a Nokia, since I currently have a focus and two of my favorite things about it that the Nokia phones are unlikely to have and the Samsung are: is removable batteries and expandable storage.